Apparatus for the separation and classification of solid materials



May 20, 1924.

v E. PINOCHE APPARATUS FOR THE SEPARATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOLIDMATERIALS Filed Jan. .31. 1923 Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT ERNEST PINooHE, E ooosANcELLEs, m c gas'smnoa ro'rEna wp n n nE r, or

BBUSSELS, ianneiioiir.

Application filed January .31, 1923. Serial No. 616,058.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that ERNEST PINOOHE, citizen of the French Republic,residing at Cousancelles, Mouse, France, has invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for the Separation and C1assificationof Solid Materials, of which the following is a specification. I

. The present invention has reference to an apparatus for separating andclassifying mixtures of solid materials in a divided condition in,suspension I in a liquid, and more particularly mixtures'ofmaterials0on1 stituting ores and coal.

The chief object'of the invention is to combine the action ofcentrifugal force with that of gravity in an apparatus of small sizehaving a great output, in orderto ob tain aneflici'ent separation andclassification of the materials according-t0 their equiva lence or theirdensity. By equivalent particles are; to he understood particles 7which, although of different sizes and densities, are "adapted to fall'with the same velocity within the treated. P

J The apparatus according to this invention comprises a'rotorcomPQSed ofone or more separating sheaths arranged symmetrically in relation to anI axis of rotation and each comprising a helico-truncatedpart connectedto a central feed conduit and merging into a truncated part in which iseffected the separation ofthe materials in suspension in the liquid. Thehelico-trun- 'cated part is intended-on theone hand to guide thematerial towbeseparated to the top of the truncated part and todistribute liquid over the whole height ofthe latter, and on the otherhand toimpart to the materials and to the'liquid suflicient speed inorder; that the separation-can be effected in the truncated portionunder the action of centrifugal force. For1 this purpose thehelico-truncated portion is divided into curved channels by means ofribs or partitions. "The upperchannel or passage receivesra mixture ofmaterialsto be separated and liquid, whilst the followingchannels arefed solely-with liquid. In thetruncated partthe ribs or partitions areextended by means-0f ribs orpartitions which are incom- Pl l o s t p rorate o a to R m of the passage .of the material liquid in which theyare ch nne erreadafitatha 9K tsheah je he mpga 1%? a d: t hihi water andto ,;the,. materials in 5 suspension of the, gr d from 30119 Theapparatus, thus cpnstruc ted is adapted to W r i a "con inu us m n r, hcla sied ;p s lu .t b n coll cte in "d fer n conduits in; a leasingsurrounding the rotor. The rate at. whichtheliquidfiowsmay be 00 va edzy v11 w ,S in yesp heik and ri e a zifi ie tly on tim can thus vbeallowed ior the separation in order to bt every eifi ielnt ass fica ion-The accompanying show idi ali m ic y by Way .0 ex pl an app a u provi dw th wo he ths constructed according to. the (invention. 7 Fig r l s nel y tio l -tli appatat s mount d p nl t i s-S af Ei re' Tea al 1 1a1.y. svwtth ar: Farm -2 1" I r 3-Sh W in Ve ic secti n the re t e rfw e bthadnehargip baa a a h euj mundin m =Eigure 4 shows on,aism'allerscalethedorm e eral y.adopt d.Ttorfl e h s fy ngshea h,- a isuw g bwsimqdifisd' i ori if: said she th l i v. ,Eigure -6 a :conical section as.,on ,line 3 Ar 11 51 1911 Ai -S ifi d man e mayns he ra zo 1 w,nttheabp ratii The apparatus shown in ,the accompanying fire-win .cp Weseparati 'lili 'cm m c ted portion (2+7) land of aftriincated @p" 'on 1the mus 2 and q-L'Qf whi hiF' are two co-ax ial; conical su g facesl I'7 i he 1 .1? qo 'tmn atd P ItiQn m y be considered as an element of ahelico- 9 c ntr ugal rump eleme t ,-1 n la g 7 rent to the th r i th'req ired Lean aw It i provided with internal partitions or j guidi enth iQ iat p i u dd'a nE ai EiQ y anaemia el es?" section, receivesthewate an th connng fr; m (Jrb it c a a f, no. c r" hea $92. 1,

nos 7 2 rotary motion, for example tion of the arrow (Figure Q). Thedivided calibre or'size of the particles of material to be treated.These incomplete partitions, whatever be their form, are intended topermit thep articles orgrains in suspension in the water to travel inthe sheath, under the influence of the centrifugal force, in a directionoblique to the-direction of the streams of fluid. these latter remainingalways in a state of guidance. i Y

The discharge end of the truncated part may be closed, for example bymeans of a plate/ provided with nozzles 2', so as to distributeseparately in as many classes as desired the materials which have beentreated. The accompanying drawing shows four nozzles but this number mayvary according to requirements. The nozzles may be provi'ded with valves1" permitting of control ling the outputflby suitably varying the rateof flow in'the sheath. f

Instead of the plate h and its nozzles other means for varying the .rateofflow of the liquid may be employed, as for instance a hinged plate orlip ,s .(Fig. 6) extending over the whole height of the discharge.section of the truncated part so as to simultaneously regulate theoutlet orifices of all the channels formedby the ribs 6, f, g.

At its upper or inlet end the helico-truncated part, of theisheath isconnected to. two concentric feeding tubesj and k. The tube '70 is'connectedrto theupper channel only of the helico-truncated part and itisused for introducing into the apparatus a stream. of water carryingthe material to be treated. The tube y is adapted to'feedwaterfor'diluting' purposes to all the other channels of thehelico-truncated part; v Y

'Figure 4t shows the general form adopted for the separating sheath andFigure 5 is a 'modific ation .of this form cases where thedifi'erencebetween the densities of the materials to be treated issmalLl The operation'ofthe'apparatus is as follows: lThe rotor receivesfrom its driving shaft w in the direcmaterials tojbe. treated areintroduced into the helico-truncated part through the tube 17 a remain pr t d by vth ribs f o the diluting water fed through the tube 7' untilthey enter the top of atten ated part. Starting from this point. thematerials will beiinfiuencedby the action of centrifugal' force, and asa result of "the communication eiiisting betweenthe channels or passageslimited by the ribs e', f 9', they williseparateaccording to theirequivalence or to their density, along the generaltrix ofthe truncatedsheath, while they are being carried forward. by the flow of water.

O lea g t e t un a d. heat l h i erials issuing from the difierentchannels therein will be'distributed to a circular casing a divided intoconcentric channels m,

corresponding in number and position to the channels of the sheath andadapted to convey the classified materials to collecting basins.

If the materials treated are in grains of different size theclassification will be effected according to their equivalences, and nincreasing the discharge section of the truncated sheath; By suitablyvarying this section and the speed of rotation the apparatus maybeadapted to the treatment of mate-- rials of a widely differentcharacter. It will be'apparent that the apparatus may be c011 structedwith a greater number of sheaths arranged symmetrically around the axisof rotation and that modifications of construction may be appliedwithout departing from the scope of the invention. a tIClfilIIlI I 1. Inapparatus for the separation and classification of solid materials, thecombination" of a' rotoncomprising a' sheath having'a conical portion,means for feeding the materials to be treated to the top" of saidconical portion, and means for feeding liquid over substantially thewhole'height of said conical portion. 7

2. In apparatus for the separation and classification of solidmaterials, the combination of a rotor comprising a sheath having aconical portioin means for feeding the materials to be treated tethetop} of said conical portion, means for feeding liquid oversubstantially the whole height of said conical portion, and means at thedischarge end of said conical portion for varying the "rate of flowofthe liquidin said sheath.

ing a truncated portion with co-axial conical lwalls, means for feedingthe material to be treated to the top of said truncated-portion, meansfor feeding liquid oversubstantially the whole height of saidtruncated'portion.

and means in said truncated portion for guiding the liquid parallel tthe rotation of thesheath While allowing of the solid materials movingtransversely ther'eoffunder the action of centrifugal force. M V

In apparatus for the separation and "'classificationfof solidinaterials, the combination of a rotor comprising a sheath having ahelieostrunca'ted portion merging into a "truncated conical portion,means for" separately feeding the solid materials and liq- "feeding thesolid materials and liquid to said helico-truncated portion, -apartition in said helico-truncated portion for guiding the solidmaterials to the top of said truncated portion, and incompletepartitions in said truncated portion allowing the solid materials totravel transversely of the sheath under the action of centrifugal force.

6. In apparatus for the separation and classification of solidmaterials, a rotor comprising a sheath having a truncated portion withoo-axial conical walls, means for feeding the solid materials near theinner edge of said truncated portion, means for feeding liquid oversubstantially the whole height of said truncated portion, incompletepartitions in said truncated portion allowing the solid materials to,travel towards the outer edge of said truncated portion, and

means for varying the dischargev section of said truncated portion. a

7. In apparatus for the separation and classification of solidmaterials, a rotor comprising a sheath having a helico-truncated portionmerging into a truncated conical portion, partitions dividing saidsheath into a number of substantially parallel curved channels, thechannels in said truncated conical portion being connected with oneanother, means for feeding the solid ma-' terials to the inner channelof said helicotruncated portion, means for feeding liquid to the otherchannels of said helico-truncated portion, a stationary circular casingsurrounding said. rotor, and partitions dividing said circular casingint a series of collecting channels corresponding in number and inposition to the channels in said sheath.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

, ERNEST PINOCHE. Witnesses i i CHARLES E. HUCKER,

LEON J; PIfiRAR

